UTI-Cause of Pandas?

[cobbiemommy]

Need some advice here. My brother's great niece has recently been hospitalized for extreme depression at the age of 7. She has severe rages, fight or flight and separation anxiety. I talked to her grandmother this evening and she said that Sweetie Pie was being treated for a urinary tract infection. My brain immediately went into PANDAs mode and I told her about PANDAs symptoms, etc.

 

UTI can be a cause of PANDAs, right??? I sent them some links to the work of NIMH, OCDFoundation, Saving Sammy and Dr. Cunningham.

 

I need the name of an excellent practitioner in the Oklahoma City area. I would love to be able to give them a name by tomorrow, Monday, if possible.

 

I cannot bear the thought of one more child going through what we went through. I want to get her help ASAP.

 

Cobbie

[Missmom]

I would think anything that activates the immune system could potentially be a trigger but maybe not the initial cause. If it is not strep related it would fall under the pans category.

[searching_for_help]

I think it's fairly common knowledge that UTI's can cause all sorts of psychological problems, (especially among the elderly and it gets passed off as "dementia") but, like missmom, I'm wondering if there might be another cause. Our dd tends to test positive for about everything. In her case her immune system just isn't working right, but her symptoms are mostly mental, not physical. Strangely, we just did a urine broth culture and she had very high counts of strep D and citrobacter koseri. Sadly, treatment for them did not improve her condition.

 

I agree this little one sounds like she has PANDAS/PANS. I hope they can find someone who specializes in this so she can get help right away. I'm also realizing that for kids like mine who don't respond to treatment, that Lyme or metals could be screwing up the immune system so they don't respond to abx treatment.

 

It's good of you to suggest the right doc for them right away. It may help them to avoid the years and years of horror we've been through. My heart goes out to them.

[PowPow]

just heartbreaking.

what did her urine culture?

My daughter did have a dramatic increase in symptoms (after her onset- by a few years) with a UTI. However, she recently has another uti and did well-- though, she has been treated extensively for AE and is doing well at this point now.

I would certainly think this could be a factor. at the very least- can you send that AE article by the rheumatologist? - maybe not in reference to her problems being a post-infectious issue (that may not get them anywhere, if the docs do not believe in PANDAS/PANS!) but in reference to all her other symptoms. Maybe she can get some other testing.

 

Can you PM rachel on the forum? She may be have some doc names for you to share.

[WorriedDADNMOM]

I will say that our dd experienced painful urination before and during the initial stuff. We never tested for UTI, however, she was asymptomatic for Strep and had very high mycoplasma p titers.....so if an immune system is overwhelmed, it would make sense that a UTI could be another piece of the puzzle.

 

So grateful that a leading doc is only two hours away in OHIO.

 

Best of luck!!!!